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Ensuring football for all: a strategy for increasing inclusivity at The Football Association
  1. Richard Weiler1,2,3,4,
  2. Osman Hassan Ahmed3,5,6
  1. 1Institute Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL, London, UK
  2. 2Amsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports, Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
  3. 3The Football Association, St George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent, UK
  4. 4Fortius Clinic, London, UK
  5. 5University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole Hospital, Poole, UK
  6. 6School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Richard Weiler, Amsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports, Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands; rweiler{at}doctors.org.uk

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107777

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    ‘Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being invited to dance’. (Verna Myers)

    The problem: barriers to playing mainstream youth football

    Over approximately 20 years, both authors have felt fortunate to have had the opportunities to develop clinical and research interests in para sports and para football (soccer). Many years ago, the lead author was asked if a young footballer could play mainstream football with a prosthesis and whether another child with disability could play mainstream football outside of their prescribed age group. This led to collaborative efforts with The Football Association (FA) in England and the development and refinement of solutions to ensure that inclusion, diversity and equity are championed across football in England, promoting regular participation by as many as possible.

    The aim: equity, diversity and inclusion for all children wishing to play football

    Much like school year groups which are arranged according to birth dates, in most countries children’s sport and football are also organised by a similar system, meaning that children play with peers of similar age and maturity.1 However, some children may have physical or mental health issues, significant psychosocial challenges, or simply be schooled in a year below their prescribed age group and unable to play football with their peers. If these children were to play in their ‘prescribed’ year group, they may experience discrimination, not enjoy …

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @osmanhahmed

    • Contributors The manuscript was drafted by RW, with feedback from OHA.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.